


Bizarrely Ordinary

by softdaffodils



Category: K-pop, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angels, Coming of Age, Demons, Dragons, Fairies, Growing Up, Hellhounds, Kitsune, M/M, Nephilim, Pixies, Sirens, Skinwalker, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, Werewolves, Witchcraft, Witches, everything in the story is fiction, idk what other tags to put, obviously, personality of characters in the story don't reflect irl people's personality, story has no connection with the real band, will edit this in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-06-16 21:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15446013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softdaffodils/pseuds/softdaffodils
Summary: Situated on the right side of a lake, the town of Valavans is home to many. This town wasn't built by a lake by accident, as it has ancestral grounds, which is of great importance to the people of Valavans and its success. Valavans has been known for being a one of the most peaceful places in the country with little to no crime. With its birch wood rooftops, chiseled stone walls and mirror lake, Valavans has a delightful atmosphere. The main attraction are the old tombs, which were built in 1827 and were designed by the founding family, the Valavans, to honor the fallen from the War of 1825. Since then, there has been nothing to fear in this town. After all, it is the safest places on Earth.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a Sunday evening in mid-August. The sun was slowly setting in the horizon, the sky’s bright orange dimming into a dark maroon. Summer was officially coming to an end, meaning school was back in session. The moans and groans of teens and children were heard all throughout the country. Nobody enjoyed going back to school, not even the teachers. Unfortunately, it's all a part of life's evil plan; survive years of constant boredom, sleepless nights, and doubt of whether that was taught will even work in the real world. For some, they find enjoyment in the pain, that others fear every second, and then there are those that find receiving an education insignificant.

Yoon Jeonghan was pedaling as quick as possible through the empty streets of his neighborhood. The boy was en route to his best friend’s house for an unexpected band practice. Jeonghan thought his friend was out of his mind to schedule a practice the day before classes started. However, the call sounded serious, therefore Jeonghan was obliged to find out what the urgency was.

Jeonghan arrived the house right before seven o’clock hit. He dropped his bicycle off nearby the entrance and sneaked around the house into the backyard, avoiding every window there was to not be spotted by his friend’s family. Creeping through the dark, Jeonghan finally reached the cellar entrance. He did the special knock only he and his best friend knew, and seconds later the cellar doors were opened.

“What took you so long? Your ass was supposed to be here an hour ago…” Jeonghan’s best friend, Lee Jihoon, scolded. He opened the doors wider for Jeonghan to pass. Once he entered, Jihoon locked the doors back up.

Jeonghan scoffed, “You try escaping your house on a school night… Mom wouldn’t stop barging in my room, trying to give me ‘The talk’ about high school and freshman year.” Jeonghan sighed, crashing onto the yellow torn up couch. “Is Wonwoo coming?” Jeonghan pondered as he looked around the room, noticing the electric guitar was in its stand, untouched.

Jihoon shook his head in disapproval, “Called in sick…”

“ _Again_?” Jeonghan spoke. “Is this becoming a ritual of his? Getting sick on the night before school?” He observed as he picked up his bass guitar that lied upon the coffee table.

Jihoon snickered, “Remember in first grade when he actually got sick on the first day?” Jihoon remembered it all too well and, although he’d like to get rid of that memory, for how graphic it was. It was too funny to let go.

Jeonghan began to chuckle, “And then he puked on Ms. Amer!” Jeonghan let out a big laugh, throwing his head back and gripping his stomach. “Imagine if he was here right now.”

“He’d probably rip our throats out with his teeth.” Jihoon joked, wiping a few tears that rolled down his cheeks due to laughter. Jihoon calmed himself down and took a deep breath in, “Well, we’ll just have to practice without him… Although I’d love to work on his solo.” Jihoon sighed, picking up his drumsticks as he walked over to his drum set.

Jeonghan shrugged, “I’ll just have to take his place” Jeonghan teased and Jihoon glared. “I’m kidding! I mean, if Wonwoo doesn’t show up- “

“Anyway, Wonwoo will just have to practice his solo later.” Jihoon cut Jeonghan off. “Till he gets it right, we can officially start recording.” Jihoon promised.

Jihoon raised his drumsticks, taping them together with a countdown before he began banging on his drums. Jeonghan strummed away on his bass guitar, his finger remembering every string to press on while he bops his head up and down. Jeonghan knows this song from front and back and all in between. However, Jihoon can always hear the mistakes no matter how well memorized the two know the tune. This was the first song Jihoon had written and he was ecstatic for his achievement. Although Jihoon was content for creating his first ever song, every time he tried to work on the sound for it, he despised it.

Today made Jihoon even more upset than he was any other day. Since he only had his bassist, the overall sound was incomplete. Jeonghan gave it his all during their practice, hitting the correct notes like he was taught, to satisfy Jihoon and his desire for his song to be perfect.

It only took Jihoon two minutes before he threw his drumsticks to the floor. “Stop!” Jihoon shouted out in frustration. “Stop!”

Jeonghan took his hands off of his bass, “Jihoon…” Jeonghan sighed as he looked upon the defeated boy. Jeonghan knows how frustrated Jihoon has been lately because of his song. He hated it when Jihoon got upset, because whenever he got flustered, it would get messy.

Jihoon jumped up from his seat. Without doubting it, he kicked down his drum set and stomped all over his drums. “I’m done! This is useless!” Jihoon yelled, kicking aside the cymbals, causing them to clang together. “I’m so sick and tired of this crap!”

Jeonghan took his guitar off his body and placed it aside. He went up to his irritated friend, “Ji… Stop.” Jeonghan grasped Jihoon by his shoulders as he was moving frantically. “Just stop!” Jeonghan raised his voice to get his attention. “I know… It’s frustrating.”

“It’s just one measly song, Han. How can it take us four months to complete on one miserable song?!” Jihoon screams, tears forming in his eyes. Jeonghan could sense that he was trying to fight them back.

Jeonghan shook his head, “Don’t worry. It’s okay.” Jeonghan calmly said.

However, Jihoon wasn’t as calm as his friend. “It’s not okay?” Jihoon broke free from Jeonghan’s hold. “Every time we practice, it never comes out right. I don’t know why we can never finish this song. Like, we haven’t even gone past the first verse and it’s been months! I just want to finish this once and for all!” Jihoon cried.

Jeonghan proceeded to hug him. “It takes time, Jihoon.” Jeonghan consoled.

“Four months?!” He retorted.

“Shut up for a second…” Jeonghan struggled. “I know how much you want to finish this, but you need to chill out, alright?”

Jihoon took in a deep breath, “Fine.” He exhaled.

“Maybe we should practice another day and not on the night before our freshman year. How about later this week? Friday sound good?” Jeonghan suggested as he began to pack his stuff in his backpack.

Jihoon wiped his tears away, “Yeah, Friday is good.” Jihoon confirmed. “We should start looking for our lead vocalist now that we’re back.” Jihoon proposed.

Jeonghan nodded, then let out a soft chuckle, “I found this guy on _Youtube_ the other day. He did a cover on a Maroon 5 song. He’s really good, his voice seems perfect for our song.” Jeonghan described. “Except he lives all the way in California…”

Jihoon smirked, “How about we keep it local next time?” Jihoon recommended. “We can make flyers about it, maybe hold auditions?”

Jeonghan nodded, “Yeah, totally.” Jeonghan gathered his stuff and headed towards the cellar doors, but before he left, he turned around facing Jihoon as he was picking up the drums he kicked over. “We got this. Get some sleep, Ji.” Jeonghan quietly exited the cellar and cautiously inched his way out of Jihoon’s backyard, continuing to avoid every window possible, to the front. Jeonghan grabbed his bicycle that was lying on the ground and zoomed back to his house.

As Jeonghan pedaled through the neighborhood, his mind was solely focused on Jihoon and his current state. He knows how hard it has been for his best friend lately, especially because of his parent’s divorce last month. Jeonghan had visited Jihoon every day during the summer break to keep him company and watch over him. Jihoon had been getting sudden bursts of anger or sadness every now and then, and so far, every time he’s had one Jeonghan had been there to take care of the hurt boy. In consequence to this, it’s been taking a toll on Jihoon whenever there was band practice. Now that they’re back in school, Jeonghan hopes that this year will help clear Jihoon’s mind from past events.

 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 

 

Monday morning dragged on in. Waking up around hours where the sun has not even risen should be banned nationwide. That’s what Jeonghan thought as he was getting dressed for school. His sleep schedule was a complete disaster because of the summer, so falling asleep last night was quite difficult. Jeonghan observed the dark circles that formed underneath his eyes and groaned. Although he really wanted five more minutes to sleep, he was already running late for his first day.

“Hannie! You’re going to be late!” Jeonghan’s mother yelled from downstairs.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes as he brushed the knots out of his long blonde locks. He liked how the new color looked on him, even Jihoon complimented it when he showed him, but he was considering dyeing his hair back to black soon. Once he was done staring at himself in the mirror, he grabbed his bookbag and jacket and zoomed down the stairs.

In the kitchen, Jeonghan’s mother had prepared scrambled eggs with toast and a glass of apple juice. Jeonghan was surprised, as he usually never gets anything as nice as that. It was usually cereal or a protein bar. “Since I woke up a little earlier, I thought I’d prepare you something nice… For my little freshman.” Jeonghan’s mother giggled as she planted a kiss on Jeonghan’s head. “And since we have ti-“

Jeonghan was about to take a bite of his eggs but stopped mid-way to see why his mother paused in midsentence. “Mom?”

“Shit!” Jeonghan’s mother breathed.

“Mom!” Jeonghan chuckled at his mother who rarely cursed.

“We’re late. Eat that fast and get in the car!” Jeonghan’s mother ordered as she gathered her items for work and dumped them in her purse. Jeonghan gobbled up his breakfast in just two seconds along with his juice. A hiccup here and a burp there, Jeonghan grabbed his stuff and dashed out the door to the car.

Luckily for Jeonghan’s mother, where they lived wasn’t so far from Jeonghan’s school where she worked. In just under fifteen minutes, they arrived at the school. Jeonghan was about to dash out of the car so his mother could zoom to work, she stopped her son in his tracks. “I know the two of us are late, but I just want to take a good look at you…” She smiled as she caressed her son’s cheek. “You’re ready?”

Jeonghan chuckled, “It’s not like you’re not going to see me again, mom.” Jeonghan grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. “I’ll be fine.” Jeonghan reassured her worrisome mother. Jeonghan got out of the car and went back to the trunk, opening it to retrieve his backpack. Once on his back, he went back up front where the passenger window was rolled down. “I might go to Jihoon’s house after school… I’ll text you if that happens.” His mother nodded and blew Jeonghan a kiss before rolling up the window and driving off. Jeonghan turned around and took in the sight that was in front of him.

Valavans High. Home of the well-known volleyball team _Vipers_. The school grounds were bustling with rambunctious teenagers chitchatting with one another, rushing to get inside before class begins or not giving a single care in the world chilling under the trees. Jeonghan was excited for high school, especially for Valavans High. Jihoon’s older brother graduated from this school about four years ago and he would tell Jihoon and Jeonghan – who was around Jihoon’s place most of the time to be able to witness this – about all the drama, funny moments and even a few myths regarding to the school. It was all finally coming true as Jeonghan was now officially a freshman at Valavans High.

Thrilled yet terrified at the same time, Jeonghan made his way through the hectic hallway towards his first period of the day; homeroom. Inside, there weren’t many students yet. The ones that had arrived earlier are just in their seats reading, on their phones or snoozing for a bit. Being early to class means that the best seats are still available. Jeonghan took a seat around the middle section right next to the window. Although Jeonghan likes to stay focused and on track with work, he wants something he can doze off to for a bit.

About ten minutes later, the bell rang and in came student after student hurdling into the classroom, searching for their preferred seat. Jeonghan saw Jihoon almost get trampled as he walked in and waved his hand at him to signal where he was located. Jihoon scurried through the crowd and took a seat next to his best friend. Jihoon exhaled, “Almost dying on the first day isn’t what I call a good start to the school year…” He complained as he pulled out a small notebook and a pen.

Jeonghan chuckled, “You’ll live.”

“Please let me survive the next one hundred and seventy-nine days…” Jihoon groaned.

As everyone was getting settled down, the teacher stepped into the classroom with her massive bag in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. “Good morning, class!” She said as she dropped her items onto the desk. “Phew! That was a workout.” The class giggled.

“Well, welcome to your first day of class. My name is Ms. Song and this first period will be homeroom. I also teach English and Algebra for those that are taking them.” Ms. Song advised as she took out a clipboard with a pen and paper. “While you’re here, we’ll take attendance, listen to the morning announcements, and discuss any other information that I will provide. You will be here for about ten minutes and then will have approximately five minutes to get to your other classes.  For now, let me take attendance.”

“Hey,” Jihoon whispered to Jeonghan. “What class do you have next?”

“Geography, I think… What about you?” Jeonghan questioned.

Jihoon sighed, “Biology.”

“That’s not so bad. At least-“

Ms. Song paused midway through taking attendance, “You two!” She pointed at Jeonghan and Jihoon. “I know it’s the first day and you’re excited, but can we stay quiet for a moment while I finish with role-”

Before Ms. Song could finish her scolding, the classroom door swung open, and in came in a boy breathing heavily and very sweaty. “I’m so sorry. My dad’s car literally broke down halfway here and I had to run…” He explained. The boy’s hair was tousled, drops of sweat glided down the sides of his face down his neck, and his shirt was damp. Though he may be sincere to his words, he looked quite the mess.

Ms. Song raised her hand to stop the boy from speaking, “That’s fine. Please take a seat.” She gestured for him to pass.

Jihoon observed the boy as he passed by, disgusted by the stench that came across his nose. _‘God, he reeks…’_ Jihoon thought. He leaned towards Jeonghan on his side, “Did he run through a junkyard or something?” Jihoon joked and Jeonghan giggled.

Jeonghan turned his head slightly, looking through his peripheral vision, to see where the boy was situated. Though Jeonghan wanted to be stealthy, he knew that the boy was also watching him

 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 

 

Lunchtime slowly came around. Jeonghan and Jihoon were sat at a table munching on the meal of the day: cheese lasagna. Jihoon was quite skeptical whether the food was safe to ingest, but when he saw Jeonghan already downing the lasagna in big bites, he figured it was Yoon approved.

“So, I guess Wonwoo decided to bail on the first day of school…” Jihoon murmured.

Jeonghan wiped his mouth, “Yeah, what’s up with that? Is he okay?” He questioned.

Jihoon shrugged, “Nobody really misses out on the first day… Especially Wonwoo. He would always be extra early on first days.”

“Maybe high school changed him.” Jeonghan laughed.

“I’ll call him later. I wonder if he can come over to my place later tonight…”

The two kept devouring their meals while talking about the classes they had so far. Across the cafeteria, Jeonghan spotted the boy from homeroom eating alongside at the big table with the seniors. It was unusual to see a freshman hang out with the seniors, especially for a newcomer. Jeonghan has never seen this boy around before. He doesn’t recall seeing him in Valavans Junior High nor Valavans Elementary. Yet Jeonghan noticed how easily he talked with the crowd, and how well received he was amongst them.

Jihoon noticed that his best friend was gazing off into the distance and not paying attention to what he was talking about. He turned around to investigate what had caught his eye, “Seriously?” Jihoon questioned. “Can you chill?!”

Jeonghan snapped out of his train of thought, “What?” Jeonghan pondered. Jihoon gestured his head to where Jeonghan was looking at. “And what about it?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes, “Literally **_anywhere_** we go, you’re already thirsting over somebody…”

“Shut up!” Jeonghan scoffed. “Besides, I’m not looking at him like _that_ … I’m just trying to figure out how he just got so popular all of a sudden.”

Jihoon turned back around again to take a good look. “A newbie, right?” Jihoon wondered. “Newbies don’t usually sit at the big table…”

“Maybe he’s just good with people?” Jeonghan asked.

“Well, whatever it is, I need some of that. Being with you has ruined my reputation.” Jihoon joked.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, “Too bad, you’re stuck with me.”

The two finished up their lunch before the bell rang. Jeonghan and Jihoon gathered their belongings and headed to their lockers to retrieve items for their next class. Jeonghan was heading to English while Jihoon was on his way to Geometry. Unfortunately, the two only shared two classes which were Band and History. Both were on Friday, so the only time they would be able to see each other was during breaks.

Jeonghan parted ways with Jihoon and went to his English class. He found a seat at the back in the corner since all the window seats were taken. As Jeonghan got settled into his seat, he spotted the homeroom boy enter the room. _‘I guess we share English together…’_ Jeonghan thought. Jeonghan attempted to not make any eye contact with the boy to not be perceived as a creep, but as hard as he tried to pretend ignoring him, he knew the boy was always watching.

Jeonghan turned his head the other way and watched the boy make his way towards the back of the classroom, almost to where he sat, through his peripheral vision. Jeonghan knew the boy was looking at him, but why? All the boy did was observe from afar, yet he hasn’t spoken to Jeonghan all day. The boy got closer and closer, until he finally took the empty seat right next to Jeonghan.

“You know,” A sudden voice startled Jeonghan. “If you’re trying to not spy on me, you’re doing a terrible job at it…”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, still looking the other way, “I’m not spying on you.”

The boy hummed, “You could barely keep your eyes off me. I know, I’m quite charming as they say, but I prefer not being hoovered over.”

“And you are?” Jeonghan questioned.

The boy grinned, “The name’s Choi Seungcheol. And you must be _Mr. Stalker Boy_ I suppose!”

Jeonghan scoffed, finally turning his head around, looking straight into Seungcheol’s eyes, “Stalker? Really? Enlighten me on that one, please.”

Seungcheol sat back in his chair, “Well, the first incident was back in homeroom, then that moment after third period in the hallway when you were getting your books from your locker, back in the cafeteria, and last but not least, right when I came in. Need any more evidence?”

“You’re the observing type, huh? How about you mind your own business, alright?” Jeonghan ordered.

Seungcheol laughed, “You have to be prepared for anything. Might as well stay attentive to everything than being run over the last second.”

“Philosophical. Is that what you say every time someone calls you out for being nosey?” Jeonghan retorted.

“I don’t see any harm with staying alert.” Seungcheol responded.

Jeonghan sat back in his chair, “Whatever.” He breathed, crossing his arms across his chest. “And how are you able to sit at the big table with all those seniors anyway?” Jeonghan pondered.

“Someone’s being rather nosey, I see.” Seungcheol chuckled while Jeonghan sneered. “You could say I’m good with people…”

“Yeah right. Either way, newbies like you aren’t particularly fond with the seniors.” Jeonghan argued.

Seungcheol raised his eyebrows, “A newbie? What makes you think I’m a newbie?”

Jeonghan sat up straight, “Well, I’ve never seen you before. Not in Valavans Junior High nor Valavans Elementary. And trust me, I grew up in this town. I know when someone comes in, and when someone goes out. So, where did **_you_** even come from?” Jeonghan explained.

Seungcheol grinned, “I see you know your way around town.”

“Inside and out. It’s a small town, so there’s no way you cannot bump into the same person twice a day.” Jeonghan mentioned.

Seungcheol nodded, “Well, I actually just moved here about… Two weeks ago? I haven’t really gotten out much to explore. Say, why don’t you be my personal tour guide?” Seungcheol proposed.

Jeonghan chuckled, “So, you want Mr. Stalker Boy to guide you around town now?”

“I mean, since you so cleverly know who everyone is and what they do, which totally backfires on you for calling me nosey, I thought it would’ve been a good idea.” Seungcheol replied.

Jeonghan shook his head, “I’ll pass. Get yourself a map instead…”

Seungcheol chuckled while shaking his head, “Tough cookie, aren’t you?” Seungcheol said as he pulled out his notebook and a pen. “By the way, I didn’t catch your name…”

Jeonghan huffed, “Because I didn’t tell you. If you want to know, you got to earn it.”

“I see. Alright then.” Seungcheol decided that it was time to accept the half defeat and give his ferocious friend some time to catch his breath.

Although Jeonghan didn’t want to admit it, he thought Seungcheol was quite striking at first glance. His brown eyes being the exact shade of a latte, his pronounced dimples when he grinned, and his bubbly laugh captivated Jeonghan in just one sitting. However, his stomach churned once the boy decided to open his mouth. _‘A pretty face but such a sore tongue.’_ Jeonghan thought. He thought he could give the boy a chance, but now Jeonghan only hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with Choi Seungcheol anymore.

 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 

 

The last bell of the day rang. The first day of school was done. Jeonghan and Jihoon were at their lockers gathering their belongings while putting away a few items. Jihoon complained about how annoying his Chemistry partner was and then proceeded to joke about his professor’s receeding hairline. “He probably whipped up some potion to make his hair grow and ended up balder than before.” Jihoon laughed. “Hey, so you’re coming to my place now, right?” Jihoon asked.

Jeonghan nodded, “Yeah, sure. Just let me text my mom that I’m going to yours.” Jeonghan reached in his back pocket to retrieve his phone, except he failed to do so since his phone wasn’t there. Jeonghan did the typical patting on his pants, trying to feel for the device in his pockets. “Crap.” Jeonghan murmured.

Jihoon looked up at his friend, “You okay?” He questioned, seeing his friend beginning to panic.

“I think I dropped my phone somewhere…” Jeonghan answered, looking carefully all around him in search for his phone.

“Maybe trace back to where you came from? You had Physics before, right?” Jihoon pondered and Jeonghan nodded. “Well, it could be back in the classroom.”

“I’ll be right back. Wait for me outside!” Jeonghan shouted as he ran all the way up the hallway to the where he had Physics.

Jeonghan inspected his surroundings, looking at the floor and through the aisle of desks. He made his way towards his desk, and luckily for him, his phone was there on the ground. Jeonghan exhaled in relief as he picked up his device. _‘If I lost this one, it’d be the third one I’d lose this year.’_ Jeonghan thought.

Jeonghan texted his mother as he walked out of the classroom, messaging her that her son would be over at his friend’s house for the rest of the day. Since Jeonghan was busy staring at his phone, he wasn’t paying any attention to what was going on around him. Because of this, he accidentally collided into someone on his way out of the classroom, and consequently made the person drop a few items they were carrying.

“Oh gosh, I am so sorry.” Jeonghan apologized, putting his phone back in his pocket. Jeonghan got onto his knees and began to pick up what had fell – which were a few textbooks – because of him.

“Oh, please. Don’t worry. I shouldn’t have been carrying books that were this heavy for a puny guy like me in the first place.” Said the person.

Jeonghan paused for a moment, his hand laying on top of one of the fallen textbooks. _‘That voice…’_ Jeonghan’s mind began to pull out files and clips to figure out where he had heard that voice. Jeonghan slowly looked up at who he was helping out, and his jaw was found on the floor.

“Y-You’re…”

The boy looked at Jeonghan, confused as to why Jeonghan looked pale suddenly. “I’m…”

Jeonghan looked down in embarrassment. He got totally starstrucked right in front of him. It was him. It’s the guy from the _Youtube_ videos he watched the other day. As Jeonghan was facing down, he noticed the book he had his hand on had a nametag on it with Joshua Hong written across.

“Joshua.” Jeonghan breathed.

“Yes?” Joshua was curious as to why this person was suddenly at a loss of words.

Jeonghan quickly picked up the book and handed it to him, “Here!” Jeonghan shoved the book towards Joshua. Jeonghan jumped back on his feet and, without saying goodbye, fled to the exit. Jeonghan could feel his cheeks burning. He knew they were red. Though he couldn’t quite comprehend how the boy he watched through a screen was just inches away from him, especially when the boy had mentioned he resided in Los Angeles. _‘What is he doing here…’_ Jeonghan thought.

“There you are! My mom is waiting for us in the parking lot.” Jihoon exclaimed as Jeonghan rushed on over to his side. “Are you okay? You look a little tense.” Jihoon noticed.

Jeonghan shook his head rapidly, “No, no. I’m fine. I’m okay. What makes you think I’m not?” Jeonghan spazzed.

“Uh, nevermind. Let’s just go.” Jihoon said as they marched towards Jihoon’s mother’s car.

Jeonghan remained calm for the rest of the ride. He didn’t want to seem like something had happened so no questions would be asked. The drive to Jihoon’s house was short as he too lived close by to the school. Jihoon advises his mother that he will be in the cellar with Jeonghan and she lets the two go. The boys walked back into the backyard and over to the stairs leading to the cellar. As they unlocked the doors, the two were surprised by none other than their best friend, Wonwoo.

“Wonwoo?” Jeonghan was shocked as he climbed down the stairs. “Where were you today? Why did you miss school? Are you okay? How did you get in here?” Jeonghan began to throw question after question.

Jihoon locked the doors behind him and followed Jeonghan from behind, “Yeah, how did you get in here? I’m going to have to change the lock again…” Jihoon said in frustration.

Wonwoo chuckled, “Change it all you want, but I’ll always get in. You know I can pick locks.” Wonwoo replied. Wonwoo proceeded to sit down on the torn-up couch and pull up his electric guitar for tuning.

“Where the hell were you today? You never miss the first day…” Jihoon complained as he went over to his drumset.

“There’s a first time for everything, I suppose.” Wonwoo laughed. “Jokes aside, I don’t know what happened to me… Two days ago, I was fine. Then suddenly, I get this excruciating headache, and my whole body just starts hurting…” Wonwoo explained. “And now, I’m perfectly fine. As if nothing ever happened.”

“That doesn’t seem strange at all.” Jeonghan said sarcastically.

“Yeah, it was weird.” Wonwoo paused for a moment and examined Jeonghan that sat in front of him. “Yoon, are you okay?” He questioned.

Jeonghan began to get nervous, “What do you mean? I am okay.” Jeonghan replied.

Wonwoo got up from the couch and went over to his friend, “You look pale…” Wonwoo said as he placed his hand under Jeonghan’s chin, turning his head side to side to observe his current state.

Jeonghan pushed Wonwoo’s hand away, “I told you already. I’m fine.” Jeonghan insisted. Jeonghan wasn’t in the mood to explain what had happened. He knows for sure that if he told his friends, they’d just call him ridiculous, or something along those lines.

“No, something’s up. You’ve been weird ever since we left school. Spit it out.” Jihoon pointed his drumstick in Jeonghan’s direction.

Jeongahn shook his head, “Guys. I swear. I’m okay!” Jeonghan argued, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Yoon…” Wonwoo gave Jeonghan a stern look.

Jeonghan groaned, “Fine… But don’t laugh.” Jihoon and Wonwoo sit back while Jeonghan cleared his throat. “So, you remember that guy I told you about the other night? The one from _Youtube_?” Jeonghan directed the question to Jihoon.

Jihoon nodded, “And what does a guy from _Youtube_ have to do with you looking like as if you just saw a ghost?”

Jeonghan sighed, “Well, he’s here…”

Jihoon was confused, “Here? What do you mean by here?”

“He’s at Valavans High... He’s there.” Jeonghan answered and Jihoon entered in a fit of giggles. “Hey! I told you not to laugh! This is serious!”

“How am I supposed to take this serious? It sounds like some cheesy fan story a twelve-year-old crafted.” Jihoon joked, Wonwoo tried to keep himself from letting out a chuckle. “Didn’t you say he lived all the way across the country? How is he magically in Valavans?”

Jeonghan shook his head, “I don’t know, but I got his name! I think… It was Joshua. Joshua Hong.” Jeonghan revealed to his friends.

“Hold up...” Wonwoo interrupted Jeonghan’s story. “ _Who_?”

“Joshua Hong. He’s this guy from _Youtube_ that does covers and vlogs. He didn’t have his name anywhere on his profile, but now I kn-“

“Yeah, I know who he is…” Wonwoo cut Jeonghan off.

Jeonghan stood there in silence staring at Wonwoo. How could Wonwoo know who Joshua was? Jeonghan had only told Jihoon about him last night. What did Wonwoo know about the boy? “Wait, what?” Jihoon butted into the conversation.

“I know him; Joshua. He used to live in Los Angeles, but then moved here to Valavans about three months ago. His mom and mine are friends…” Wonwoo revealed.

Jeonghan's mind went blank. He quickly took a seat in the nearby armchair before his knees gave out. Jeonghan's head was spinning like a spinning top. For being the first day of school, there sure was a lot to take in. First, it was that odd boy who was a pain in the neck that labelled Jeonghan as a stalker. Then, it ended with Jeonghan casually bumping into the person he never thought he would meet, yet somehow they happened to be studying at his school now. His mind began to pile up with questions he wished he knew the answers to. Jeonghan was excited for freshman year, but after all the situations that have slapped him in the face already, who knows if he’ll be able to survive the next one hundred and seventy-nine days.

“ _Fuck_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there! i hope you enjoyed this chapter of my story Bizarrely Ordinary! i'm very excited about this story! i've been working on it for a few months now and i think it's time to share it with the world. so, i hope you liked chapter 1! i will upload the next chapter soon (no uploading schedule bc that just Fuels my anxiety) so please look forward to it! thank you so much :)
> 
> xo


	2. Chapter 2

The next day came too quickly. Jeonghan barely got much sleep last night. His mind jumbled around the images of bumping into Joshua and of Seungcheol being an unbearable brat from the day before. It was unquestionable that Seungcheol popped a nerve or two from Jeonghan by the way he acted, but maybe that was all for show. Either that, or he was actually an annoying person. On the other hemisphere, the person Jeonghan was fascinated by through a couple of videos was now studying at the same school as he was, and it both terrified yet excited Jeonghan at the same time. He only hoped that Joshua didn’t get freaked out by Jeonghan’s behavior.

Jeonghan tossed and turned in bed, slamming a pillow into his face as soon as the first ray of sunshine infiltrated his room. He knew that it was almost time to get up, and he was dreading the sound of his alarm that could go off at any second. Except, the only noise that rang through Jeonghan’s ears was the chime of his phone alerting him that a message had been sent.

Jeonghan unlocked his phone and scrolled through his notifications. It was a text from Wonwoo that was sent only a moment ago. He wanted to discuss a few points with Jeonghan about what to do, what to say, and what was totally off limits regarding to Joshua. Since Wonwoo knew Joshua better, Jeonghan agreed to his counseling. They chose to walk to school together instead of the usual car ride to be able to focus on the situation, in case Jeonghan bumped into Joshua during the day. Jeonghan left the house earlier than usual to meet with Wonwoo at the bus stop, the place they both agreed on.

“Just so you know,” Wonwoo advised, his arm around Jeonghan’s shoulders. “Josh doesn’t really like talking about his _Youtube_ stuff...”

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow, “How come?” Jeonghan pondered. “If he doesn’t like talking about it, maybe he shouldn’t have uploaded videos in the first place?”

Wonwoo shook his head, “No, no. See, the thing is that…” Wonwoo took a deep breath. “It’s hard to explain… It’s really not my place to talk about it.” Wonwoo stammered. Before they walked another step forward, Wonwoo stopped and firmly gripped Jeonghan by his shoulders. Wonwoo’s cheeks flushed into a bright scarlet as he looked at Jeonghan straight in the eye, “Just do me a favor, for him mostly. Don’t talk about his videos. _Ever_.” Wonwoo concluded.

Jeonghan nodded, his palms building up with sweat. A slight smile tickled on the corner of Wonwoo’s lips as he gestured with his head to Jeonghan for him keep on walking with him, and so he did. If what Wonwoo had told him was true, it was best for Jeonghan to not cross the line. But, that wouldn’t interrupt Jeonghan’s investigation from figuring out why he couldn’t talk to Joshua about his. Alas, Jeonghan nodded, agreeing with what Wonwoo had told him. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the friendship he was trying to seek with Joshua.

The two eventually arrived at the school grounds about twenty minutes later. Jihoon was sat by the entrance, killing time on his phone as he waited for his friends.

“Ji!” Jeonghan shouted.

Jihoon’s head popped right up at the sound of his name being called. His eyes scanned around the courtyard until they landed on his friends walking towards the building. Jihoon pulled his bookbag over his shoulder, slid his phone in his pocket, and got up on his feet, waiting for his friends to reach him. “You guys walk so slow. I’ve been here for like an hour.” Jihoon huffed, joining Jeonghan and Wonwoo as they went inside. “So, what were you two lovebirds talking about?” Jihoon joked, clasping his hands together.

Wonwoo laughed, “As if.”

“Oh, I totally forgot. I think Jeonghan made reservations with someone already.” Jihoon teased.

Jeonghan hit Jihoon lightly on his shoulder, “Do you ever shut up?”

“And who is the poor soul he’s latched onto already?” Wonwoo raised an eyebrow.

“Some new kid. He’s being bold around here sitting with the seniors.” Jihoon responded.

Wonwoo nodded, “So, Han’s interested in fresh meat. I see…” Wonwoo giggled, earning him Jeonghan’s elbow hitting him in his side. “I’m kidding, Han!” Wonwoo laughed it off as he rubbed his side, pretending it didn’t hurt.

“Hilarious.” Jeonghan mumbled. “Anyway, I’ll see you two losers later.” Jeonghan made finger guns at Jihoon and Wonwoo before he departed.

“Going to hunt down your fiancé?” Jihoon shouted as Wonwoo chuckled.

“Jump in a ditch, Ji!” Jeonghan yelled in response as he walked into the restroom.

Jeonghan entered the bathroom and went to one of the sinks. He looked at the current state of his face in the dirty mirror; dark circles prominently underneath his slightly puffy scarlet eyes. Jeonghan groaned. He splashed cold water onto his face to relieve himself from all the stress that was building up inside him. Jeonghan clutched the sides of the sink, taking in deep breaths. While Jeonghan was busy alleviating himself, he didn’t notice somebody was standing next to him, observing the droplets on Jeonghan’s soaked face slide down and hit the sink.

“You ran away.” The mystery person’s voice broke the silence. Jeonghan’s whole body jerked up, stepping away from whoever was speaking. Jeonghan wiped off the water over his eyes to regain his vision. There right next to him stood none other than Joshua Hong. Jeonghan stared at him for a minute, his face dripping from all the water he splashed onto it before realizing that the boy was holding a paper towel out for him. Joshua gestured for Jeonghan to take the towel and Jeonghan obliged. “Is that something you do often?”

Jeonghan went to close the running faucet, “What?” Jeonghan softly chuckled, turning to grab a paper towel to dry his face off. Joshua’s question didn’t ring a bell in Jeonghan’s head.

“You know, bump into people and then run off…” Joshua replied, a smirk tingling on his lips.

Jeonghan grinned and shook his head, “Oh, right. I’m so sorry about that! I was just so caught up with things, you know. I didn’t mean for that to happen.” Jeonghan apologized, scratching his head.

“Alright, alright.” Joshua pulled out a paper towel from the dispenser and dried his hands off. “Next time, I’ll wear a helmet. Just in case you go on a rampage.” He giggled.

“Hey, I’m not that bad.” Jeonghan whined.

Joshua took his eyes off of Jeonghan to fix his hair in the mirror. Once he was done ruffling his brown locks, he turned on his heel and headed straight to the exit. As he opened the door, he stopped in his tracks, “What’s your name?” Joshua asked, turning his head slightly enough to see Jeonghan in his peripheral vision.

Jeonghan watched as Joshua waited by the door, waiting for his response, “Jeonghan.”

A half smile appeared on Joshua’s face, “That’s nice.” He answered.

“Wait!” Jeonghan called out. “Aren’t you going to tell me yours?” Jeonghan questioned, even though he already knew the boy’s name.

Joshua bopped his head from side to side, “Maybe.” Joshua winked at Jeonghan before he left the restroom.

Jeonghan watched as Joshua slipped away through his fingers. He was beginning to find Joshua intriguing. There was something about him that made Jeonghan want to know more about him. If he was captivated by the boy merely from a low-quality video, then whatever that feeling he had inside amplified by a thousand only by seeing him in the flesh.

  


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Jeonghan was eating his lunch with Jihoon and Wonwoo in the cafeteria at their spot. His classes so far have been brutal. Luckily, lunchtime came around to give him a break from all the work.

“So, I was thinking…” Jihoon spoke, his mouth full of his food that he hadn’t chewed down yet.

“You don’t say!” Wonwoo sarcastically said.

Jihoon rolled his eyes, “Anyway, we could make a few flyers and make a post on _Twitter_ or _Instagram_ about the opening for our band.” Jihoon suggested. The three of them had been searching for a main vocalist for their band for a while now since their last one had left the band due to moving out of state. Jeonghan would say that he’s the right one for the job, but Jihoon disagreed.

Wonwoo thought for a moment as he munched on his meal, “Yeah, I can make the design for the flyers tonight!” He proposed. “What do you think, Han?” Wonwoo directed his attention towards his friend on the left. Jihoon and Wonwoo waited patiently for their friend’s response, except Jeonghan wasn’t paying any attention to what his friends were talking about.

Right across the cafeteria in a corner, he spotted Joshua eating his lunch by himself while reading a book he had in his hand. The more Jeonghan kept observing, the more mesmerized he grew towards him. Joshua seemed to be sort of mellow type of guy. He looked smart, he dressed well, and he spoke properly. Joshua was almost perfect. Jeonghan couldn’t help but replay Joshua’s videos in his head. He couldn’t get enough of the sound of his      velvety voice. Jeonghan wished he could tell Joshua about how incredible he was, but he swore to Wonwoo not to say anything related about it. It bothered Jeonghan a little, not knowing why he couldn’t talk about it. However, he prefered not to cross the line that had been drawn.

“Jeonghan!” Jihoon snapped, bringing Jeonghan back to reality. “Earth to Han.”

Jeonghan shook himself out of his tumbleweed of thoughts, “What? What do you want?”

“Uh, the auditions? Flyers?” Wonwoo recapitulated.

Jeonghan nodded his head slowly, “Okay, and…”

Jihoon groaned, “Please tell me you weren’t just ignoring us,” Jihoon rubbed his temples. He then turned around in his seat, looking back at the crowd of students in the cafeteria in search of something. “I swear to God. If you keep staring at that turd, I’m just going to straight up tell him you want a piece of his ass.” Jihoon threatened, pointing a finger at Jeonghan.

“Wait, what?” Jeonghan frowned.

Jihoon furiously pointed behind him with his thumb. Jeonghan searched everywhere to figure out what his friend was accusing him for. It was then that he realized Jihoon was talking about _him_ : Choi Seungcheol. “Wait, no. I wasn’t even looking at him!” Jeonghan defended. “I don’t even like him!”

“That’s what you say every time somebody catches you staring at someone.” Wonwoo joined Jihoon’s side as he picked up a fry and ate it. Wonwoo lifted his head up to get a look of who the victim might’ve been. “I mean, he is quite attractive.” Wonwoo admitted, looking back at Jeonghan with a smirk.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, “He’s so annoying,” Jeonghan sighed. “He’s in my English class, which I have right after lunch, unfortunately. He literally called me a stalker, like what is up with him?”

“But did he lie?” Jihoon chuckled as he pointed a fry in Jeonghan’s direction.

“Just eat your damn lunch before I feed you my fist.” Jeonghan threatened, but Jihoon burst into a fit of laughter.

“Oh my God, you’re so funny! Which movie did you get that line from? It’s hilarious.” Jihoon laughed at his friend, wiping away a tear that had formed from all the cackling.

“You guys are the worst.” Jeonghan huffed, resting his cheek on his clenched fist that held him up.

The bell’s clattering ring filled the whole cafeteria, moments after the three finished their conversation. Students rushed back into the hallway and fled towards their classes. Jeonghan flipped off his friends as they parted ways, each one heading to their assigned class.

Jeonghan wasn’t anticipating English. He did enjoy the subject, but he wasn’t enjoying a certain someone. Except, Jeonghan wondered if Seungcheol’s behavior from yesterday was entirely a hoax. Perhaps Seungcheol wasn’t that bad of a guy and Jeonghan had yet to discover the type of person he really was. Closing his locker, Jeonghan took a deep breath in and entered the classroom.

Jeonghan quickly glanced around the room in search of the boy. Luckily, Seungcheol hadn’t arrived yet. Jeonghan decided that this time it was best for him to take a seat surrounded by other students so that Seungcheol wouldn’t bother him anymore. Jeonghan let out a long exhale as he sat comfortably around a few other people. _‘Let’s see how you do this time, boy.’_ Jeonghan thought.

Just as Jeonghan was thinking about him, in came Seungcheol along with a few other students by his side. Jeonghan didn’t want to be caught staring at him, but Seungcheol and him shared a quick glance with one another. Chills ran down Jeonghan’s spine from his cold stare. Jeonghan watched how Seungcheol separated himself from his group and made his way towards him with a smug look plastered on his face. Jeonghan knew he wasn’t going to achieve anything as there were no seats available next to him.

“Heard you were thinking about me. That’s cute.” Seungcheol winked.

Jeonghan sneered, “In your dreams.”

“Oh, definitely.” He responded with a grin, causing Jeonghan to feel creeped out. “You know, I’m pretty sure this was my seat…” Seungcheol placed his hand on top of the desk next to Jeonghan.

“Excuse me?” Said the girl that sat in the spot Seungcheol was trying to claim as his.

Seungcheol nodded, “I’m afraid so.” He pouted.

“Seungcheol, what are you doing?” Jeonghan argued, trying to catch his attention, but his eyes were glued onto the girl.

“There’s clearly other empty seats over-”

Seungcheol slammed his palm on the desktop. “On the contrary,” Seungcheol stopped the girl from finishing her sentence. “This is my seat, not yours. Now, be a sweetheart and go find yourself another place to sit.” Seungcheol shooed her away with his hand.

Jeonghan didn’t think the girl would give in to be bossed around by some guy who thought he owned the town. However, he was proven wrong. “Of course. This is your seat.” Said the girl in a flat tone. “Excuse me.” Jeonghan observed as the girl got up from her seat and moved to another one across the room. Jeonghan’s mouth was wide open. How did she give her spot up so easily after standing her ground? Seungcheol wasn’t holding her at gun-point, so what exactly made her give up?

Seungcheol grinned as he took a seat in the stolen seat. He exhaled, “I always get what I want, one way or another.” Seungcheol said cheerfully, folding his arms across his chest.

Jeonghan groaned, “It just further proves how much of an asshole you are.”

Seungcheol gasped, “Such a sour tongue, Hannie! Don’t be so rude!”

“Just shut-“ Jeonghan paused for a moment, rewinding what he heard a second ago. “You know my name?” Jeonghan wondered, looking straight at Seungcheol. “But I never told-“

“I have good hearing.” Seungcheol revealed, only to end up annoying Jeonghan even more.

Jeonghan scoffed, “You’re annoying.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, darling.” Seungcheol replied as he sat back in his seat, arms folded across his chest with a smug grin plastered on his face. Jeonghan wished he could simply rip off that smile of his. The last thing Jeonghan could think of to get rid of Seungcheol was to figure out if there was a way to drop a class or at least switch to another one. Although the thought seemed tempting, Jeonghan didn’t want to give the impression of being defeated by Seungcheol. He wasn’t going to run away. Not without showing Seungcheol who was boss.

 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

  


Jeonghan was storing away a few of his textbooks into his locker while taking others out for homework he had to work on tonight. Jihoon and Wonwoo were there next to him, waiting for him to finish packing. Jihoon was explaining to his friends something about band practice, and Jeonghan once again wasn’t listening to what his friend was talking about.

Just like in the cafeteria, he spotted Joshua across the hall fiddling around with his locker and books. Not to sound like a total creep, but Jeonghan enjoyed watching the boy. Joshua seemed like if he were a character from one of those teen drama movies: the quiet and mysterious boy that had a bunch of secrets kept in his pockets. Every glance Jeonghan took, he noticed something new about Joshua. This time around, Jeonghan noticed the amount of piercings Joshua carried on his ears, he saw how he had a necklace with a cross on it dangling from his neck, and he also observed how messy his hair had gotten since he saw him this morning in the bathroom. _‘Who are you?’_ Jeonghan thought to himself.

“Jeonghan!”

The sudden voice shook Jeonghan out of his thoughts. “What?” Jeonghan asked, not knowing what was going on.

“I have go now. Practice is on Friday, got it?” Jihoon reminded both of his friends. Wonwoo and Jeonghan both nod their heads. “Alright. See you guys later!” Jihoon concluded before walking towards the exit.

“I’m heading out as well.” Wonwoo added, patting Jeonghan’s back. “Catch you later!” He waved as he left the building.

Jeonghan watched as his friends leave as well as most of the other students. He quickly packed up the books he needed and closed his locker. However, before he left, a very wild idea popped in his head. Jeonghan thought it was insane and that it could possibly end in grave consequences. Jeonghan never really got these sorts of sudden impulses before, but he felt that this one had to be fulfilled.

Jeonghan took a deep breath in and walked over to Joshua.

Joshua was gathering the books he needed for his studies while organizing his locker at the same time. The school year had barely started, yet he has a lot of projects and homework to work on already. As he was putting away his books into his backpack, he heard footsteps approaching him. Joshua took a peak as to who it was and noticed that it was _Bathroom Kid_ who walking towards him. Joshua had to admit that Jeonghan looked quite the charmer. What made Joshua swoon a little more was Jeonghan’s luscious dark brown locks, gently resting on top of his shoulders. Joshua rarely sees any men with long hair, but when he does none of them suit the style. Except for Jeonghan. His long hair suits him very well, better than anyone else.

“Hey…” Jeonghan spoke once he stood in front of Joshua.

Joshua grinned, “We meet again.” Joshua stated, closing his locker and pulling his backpack over his shoulder.

Jeonghan chuckled, “I suppose so.” Jeonghan scratched his head. Joshua could sense the boy’s nervousness right away. “So, I was going to ask you something…”

Joshua raised his eyebrows, eager to know what Jeonghan has in store for him, “And what is that something?”

“What book are you reading?” Jeonghan pointed at the book Joshua had in his hand. Joshua knew that Jeonghan was in fact stalling.

“ _Pride and Prejudice_.” Joshua explained, raising his book up to show Jeonghan. “I’ve seen the movie and read this book so many times. I even got my mom hooked on it.” He admitted.

Jeonghan nodded, “That’s pretty cool!” Jeonghan replied. “Well, I’ll see you around!” Jeonghan gulped as he turned around, making his way to the exit. Jeonghan bailed on his mission, but he knew that there would be consequences and he didn’t want any of it.

“Is that all?” Joshua called.

Jeonghan stopped in his tracks and casually turned back around, facing Joshua again. Jeonghan nodded, “Yeah, yeah.” He gave him a half-hearted smile.

“You sure?” Joshua wondered as he walked towards Jeonghan. Jeonghan could feel his heart pounding rapidly against his chest. He really shouldn’t have fallen into his impulses. Jeonghan nodded again. He could feel the sweat starting to form at the back of his neck. Joshua looked closely at the boy who was at that point an obvious nervous wreck. “Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan let out his breath that he was holding onto, “Fine…” He spoke. “Well, there’s this band I’m in.” Jeonghan explained, Joshua nodded. “And I was thinking if, you know, might know somebody that is interested in a spot as main vocalist…”

Joshua took a moment to digest the information that he was given. Joshua found it odd that Jeonghan would be asking him this question since the two don’t really know each other at all. Joshua followed along. “What makes you think I know someone?” Joshua questioned.

Jeonghan shrugged, “I don’t know.” Jeonghan scratched his head. “You look like someone that listens to chill music. Maybe you even hang out with some musically talented people.” Jeonghan assumed, digging his sweaty hands into his pockets.

Joshua giggled, “What if I told you I listened to country music on a daily basis?”

Jeonghan began to laugh out loud until he noticed Joshua had a straight face on, “Wait, you’re serious?”

Joshua kept giving Jeonghan a serious look but failed to maintain it as he started giggling uncontrollably, “Looks can be deceiving, Jeonghan.” Joshua moved around Jeonghan and made his way to the exit. Jeonghan turned around and watched Joshua as he left. “See you tomorrow!” Joshua shouted before he slipped away.

Jeonghan raised his hand to wave goodbye to Joshua. Jeonghan leaned back onto the lockers and exhaled. He’s relieved that Joshua didn’t react negatively to what he asked about. Although Jeonghan did tell him about the whole situation, he kind of hoped Joshua would forget all about it. Sure, it’d be nice to have Joshua in the band since he’s an amazing singer, but the truth could seep through and Joshua could find out. Jeonghan hit his head back onto the lockers gently, frustrated as to what could go down soon. _‘Nice one, Yoon.’_ Jeonghan thought to himself. He let out an annoyed sigh before he began his journey back home.  


  


˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

  


Jeonghan was on his computer, surfing the web, chatting with his friends, and doing his homework at the same time. _‘We’re literally on day two, teachers.’_ Jeonghan thought as he answered a few questions from his English homework. The blue light from his computer screen only made him more tired than he already was. As Jeonghan wrote in his notebook, a notification appeared on his screen. It was Jihoon who sent a message to the group chat.

_[Ji] – What’s up fuckers? Contemplating on death after all this homework we’ve gotten so far?_

_[JW] – You’re being dramatic._

_[Ji] – You’re the smart one, you can’t say shit._

_[JW] – I mean, you’re not wrong. Anyway, what’s up, Han?_

Jeonghan sighed and placed his homework aside.

_[Han] – Tired. Damn, these teachers have no mercy._

_[Ji] – Right! This fucking blows…_

_[JW] – God, you two are pathetic._

_[Ji] – I’ll take that as a compliment. BTW, how are those flyers coming out?_

_[JW] – They look alright. I’m no graphic designer, but I think they look decent._

Wonwoo attached an image to his message. It was a photo he took of the flyer he had made. Jeonghan thought it looked neat with the variety of colors and the straight-forward message across it and Jeonghan was already getting excited for what was yet to come. Except, his excitement only lasted for a second before his mind went back to what went down between him and Joshua. Jeonghan grabbed his head in his hands, groaning at his huge mistake. He didn’t want Joshua to join the band, because if he does, then it could all end in a complete chaos. _‘Should I tell them?’_ Jeonghan thought as his fingers grazed the keyboard.

_[Ji] – That looks sick! Are you gonna be able to print it out?_

_[JW] – That’s the problem. My printer only has black ink. So, the flyers would print out in black and white…_

_[Ji] -  And I don’t even have a printer… Well fuck._

_[JW] – Han?_

_[Han] – I have to tell you guys something._

_[Ji] – Does it involve with you having colored ink in your printer?_

_[Han] – No._

_[Han] – I mean, yes. I do have colored ink in my printer._

_[Ji] – Case sloved! Han can print it out._

_[JW] – I’ll send you the file, so you can print it out._

_[Han] – Okay, but I need to tell you guys something._

_[Ji] – Print out at least 5 flyers. So we don’t totally drain your ink._

_[JW] – Do you have glossy paper? I think the flyers would look even better with that._

_[Han] – GUYS_

_[Ji] – Did you print them out._

_[Han] – I need you guys to listen to me first._

Jeonghan sat back in his chair and exhaled deeply, not knowing he was holding his breath in the first place. He watched as the speech bubbles of both his friends pop up, indicating that they were typing.

_[JW] – What happened?_

_[Han] – I know this is kind of shitty to be doing through messages, but please don’t get mad._

_[Ji] – You lied to us about the ink?_

_[Han] – Jihoon._

_[Ji] – What?_

_[Han] – So, Joshua…_

_[JW] – What about him?_

_[Han] – Well, we talked today. We talked a lot actually._

_[JW] – Oh, that’s good. He’s pretty nice, isn’t he?_

_[Han] – Yeah, he’s cool._

_[Ji] – The point, pls._

_[Han] – Well, we talked about some things…_

_[JW] – And…_

_[Ji] – For God’s sake, just tell us._

Jeonghan took in a sharp breath.

_[Han] – I may have told him about the auditions and about the band and I kinda asked him if he knew anybody that wanted to join._

Jeonghan began to shake after he sent the message to his friends. He sat back in his chair, biting his nails as he awaited for either Jihoon or Wonwoo to respond. However, the notification he received wasn’t what he expected.

_[JW has left the chat]_

_[Ji] – OOF, you’re fucked._

Jeonghan saw Jihoon’s message and then proceeded to slamming down his laptop. Jeonghan was worried about Joshua’s reaction, but he was even more concerned about Wonwoo’s since he was the one that told Jeonghan not to say anything to Joshua. Wonwoo only advised Jeonghan to not talk about the videos. Therefore, Wonwoo couldn’t entirely be upset with Jeonghan. _‘Yeah, that’s right.’_ Jeonghan thought. He stuck onto that thought for the rest of the night. It was either that or overthink about your decisions all night and not get any sleep. Jeonghan quickly finished his homework and threw everything back into his backpack before heading to bed. _‘Let’s just hope I’ll survive tomorrow.’_  


_  
_

₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

_  
_

“You did what?!” Wonwoo exclaimed, pacing up and down the hallway. Jeonghan was putting some books back into his locker and took out the ones he needed for his class after homeroom. “Are you serious right now? I told you not to tell him anything!”

“But you told me not to say anything about the videos!” Jeonghan defended himself.

Wonwoo shook his head, “I know, but there’s more to that!” Wonwoo said. “Let’s put it this way. What if he doesn’t have anyone to recommend for the band and decides to audition for the band himself? He’ll see me, and he’ll see you and he’ll _know_ something is up.”

“That doesn’t mean any-“

“It does, Jeonghan! Because he only told me about those videos and everything about them! Only me!” Wonwoo revealed, letting out a big sigh. “I could kill you if I could, but you’re my best friend. So, the only thing I can do is be upset with you.”

Jeonghan let his head down in shame. He messed up and broke Wonwoo’s promise. He didn’t think through of all the possibilities that could have happened, and now it felt as if Jeonghan was stuck in a ditch.

“This is quality entertainment, let me tell you.” Jihoon added as he stood on the sidelines, softly chuckling to himself.

Jeonghan paced up and down with his hand on his chin, thinking of a plan on how to fix the mess he had created. “I can fix this.” Jeonghan finally spoke, lifting his head up. He wasn’t sure if his plan was going to work, but it was worth a shot.

Wonwoo looked at Jeonghan dead in the eye, “Enlighten me, please.”

“Why don’t I just tell him we already found a vocalist?” Jeonghan suggested. “I mean, I’m pretty sure Joshua would fall for that.”

Jihoon nodded, “That sounds simple enough…”

Wonwoo starred at Jeonghan as he thought about his friend’s idea, “It’s not a bad idea.” Wonwoo admitted. “But this is on you if everything goes to shit.”

“It’ll work. I’ll tell him later today.” Wonwoo and Jeonghan nodded and Jihoon shrugged his shoulders, not really understanding the dilemma.

The bell rang shortly after their dispute, signaling it was time for them to meet in their homeroom. Wonwoo and Jihoon head on into the classroom, leaving Jeonghan behind. Jeonghan adjusted his backpack over his shoulders and closed his locker. Heading towards his English class, he was abruptly stopped at the door by a giant ogre.

“Seungcheol, what do you want?” Jeonghan groaned, annoyed already at the fact that Seungcheol wouldn’t let him through.

Seungcheol grinned, “Nothing really. Just wanted to stop by and say hi!”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, “So, you’re just going to bother me in the hallway too? Is this like level two? From the classroom and now out here?” Jeonghan folded his arms across his chest.

“Oh, no. Not at all. I’d prefer that our banters stay in the classrooms. Lucifer forbid I be seen with you out here.” Seungcheol admitted, giggling lightly.

“Alright, so get out of the way.” Jeonghan moved from side to side, trying to get around Seungcheol, but he wouldn’t let him through.

Seungcheol shook his head as he tsk-tsked, “Hmm, well I did actually want something now that you mentioned it.”

“Can we leave this for later?” Jeonghan pleaded.

“Listen,” Seungcheol began. “All I want to ask is if you could sit next to me.” Seungcheol spoke in a rather gentle tone, surprising Jeonghan a little.

Jeonghan sighed loudly at Seungcheol’s request. If Seungcheol thought Jeonghan was going to follow along with his demand, he was completely mistaken, “That’s not going to happen.” Jeonghan chuckled.

Seungcheol pouted, “Please? I mean, if you don’t, then I’d just have to kick everyone out of their seats anyway.”

Jeonghan shook his head, “I said no. Now, let me go.”

“Jeonghan, please…” Seungcheol’s once soft and delicate voice instantly turned dark and deep.

“I said-”

Seungcheol stopped Jeonghan from finishing his sentence by quickly cupping the sides of Jeonghan’s face in his hands. Jeonghan’s eyes widen at the boy’s unexpected actions. An unusual force within Jeonghan prevented him from protesting or even pushing him off. Seungcheol’s grip on Jeonghan tighten as he looked deeply into Jeonghan’s eyes, his fingers digging mildly into Jeonghan’s skin as he looked straight into his soul, “Be a darling and sit next to me for every class we have, and I’ll leave everyone else alone.” Seungcheol smirked as he gave his specific order to Jeonghan.

Jeonghan observed how Seungcheol’s pupils dilated as he spoke. Jeonghan’s breathing became abnormally fast to the point where he felt as if he were being suffocated. He could feel his bottom lip quivering as he starred into Seungcheol’s soulless-like eyes. Jeonghan was right about Seungcheol from the beginning. The chills that were sent down Jeonghan’s spine confirmed his suspicions, as well as discovering another side of Seungcheol he only wished he would never encounter again.

Once Jeonghan regained his strength and consciousness, he pulled Seungcheol’s hands off his face, “Get off of me, jerk.” Jeonghan shouted, pushing Seungcheol out of the way to get into the classroom.

Seungcheol watched as Jeonghan slipped through the cracks of his hands, leaving him alone in the hallway. He placed a hand on his chest where Jeonghan had shoved him and rubbed it gently. Seungcheol usually got his way with everything he desired through his exquisite charms and good looks. In fact, this was the first time he experienced a complete fiasco, which he didn’t expect to happen at all. _‘Maybe it’s starting to wear off?’_ Seungcheol thought to himself, his hand on his chin. _‘No, that can’t be it.’_ Nothing was making any sense to him.

It was decided that Seungcheol should move on from his utter catastrophe and head to class for the best of him. Before he took any step further, a force yanked him aside and dragged him down the hallway. Seungcheol could easily stop whoever was kidnapping him, but he chose not to and let the abduction proceed. As odd this was already, his kidnapper ended up taking Seungcheol to the restroom. The mysterious person charged into the men’s bathroom with Seungcheol behind and then threw him against the wall. Seungcheol’s head hit hard on the stone wall and winced from the pain. “What the hell?” Seungcheol yelled, rubbing the back of his head. “What’s your problem!?”

“Back off.” Growled the kidnapper, pointing a shaky finger at Seungcheol.

Seungcheol looked up at the person that menaced him. Whoever they were, they didn’t seem intimidating at all. Yet, Seungcheol couldn’t recognize who this person was on the tip of his tongue. He had never seen this person before, but somehow, they knew something about Seungcheol for them to act this certain way.  “What are you talking about?” Seungcheol questioned the gentle-looking boy as he rubbed the back of his head that still hurt.

“Stay away from Jeonghan.” They demanded. The person gave one last glare at Seungcheol before they ran out of the restroom.

Seungcheol stood there in the men’s bathroom, still recovering from the intense discomfort. Perplexed, he attempted to piece together the events that took place not long ago. It was beyond bizarre and far from ordinary, something Seungcheol had never witnessed before in his life. “What is going on?” He asked himself, walking towards one of the sinks. He gripped the sides of the sink, his knuckles turning white from his tight grasp. Exhaling a trembling breath, Seungcheol looked at himself in the grimy mirror. He proceeded to clear his head by splashing cold water onto his face. After his moment of solitude in the restroom, he had finally come up with a conclusion as to what may have occurred. Seungcheol turned off the faucet and stared right at his reflection, droplets of water raced down his face. For the first time in forever, Seungcheol felt truly and utterly afraid.

“This can’t be happening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 is here!! sorry it took a while. i was trying to make it as perfect as possible! plus i got caught up with school and projects and homework, UGH. anyway, i hope you enjoyed this chapter and definetly let me know what you thought about it! thank you so much!
> 
> xo


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the day progressed at a plodding pace. Bells rang, students complained, and the teachers were drained. For Jeonghan, everything had gone into hyper speed. His morning came and went, and in a blink of an eye, it was already time for lunch. Everything was moving at the speed of light in Jeonghan’s world, however his mind wouldn’t budge from what had happened earlier between him and Seungcheol.

He recalled the look on Seungcheol’s face; malice tingling in his eyes as they pierced straight into Jeonghan’s soul while his tongue spat out words that stung his skin. Jeonghan considered himself as someone who doesn’t get frightened easily, but just thinking about the situation sent chills down his spine. He was terrified, and he would love to forget about it and continue on with his life, but Jeonghan simply couldn’t. He needed answers.

Jeonghan thought of all the possible conclusions – that weren’t only just silly assumptions - for Seungcheol’s bizarre behavior. One of them concluded Seungcheol as a magician with mind controlling powers. Yes, it sounded ridiculous, but it was Jeonghan’s only lead that made somewhat sense. Perhaps not the magician part, but Seungcheol could have been learning how to control people’s minds. The girl that gave up her seat for him the other day was most likely under his control, and who knows who else might be. Unfortunately, Jeonghan’s assumptions were only suppositions; no actual proof. He needed more evidence before he confronted anybody about the dilemma, and Jeonghan was ready to get to the bottom of it.

Back to reality, Jihoon and Wonwoo were carrying their lunch trays towards their spot, leaving Jeonghan behind as he was still paying for his meal. Jihoon crashed onto the empty seat and exhaled, “God, this day feels like it’s going on forever…” He grabbed his orange juice carton and opened it, taking a long swig of his drink before setting it down.

Wonwoo took a seat next to Jihoon, “We’ve barely started the school year and you already look like you need a break.”

“Make that a year long break.” Jihoon took a spoonful of his lunch and gobbled it all up.

“So, got any plans for your birthday yet?” Wonwoo asked. Jihoon shook his head, his mouth was still full of food. “Maybe we should go out! Or we can stay in and have a sleepover.”

Jihoon swallowed his food, “That’s a chick thing.”

“Guys can have sleepovers too, you know.” Wonwoo rolled his eyes at Jihoon’s stubbornness.

Jihoon shrugged, “As long as we don’t start doing each other’s nails and talk about crushes.”

“You are such a boy.” Wonwoo nudged his elbow into Jihoon’s side.

Jihoon yelped, rubbing his side, “What’s that’s supposed to mean?”

Before Wonwoo or Jihoon could discuss any further, Jeonghan eventually appeared and took a seat in front of his friends, taking both of their attention off each other, “So, what’s the discourse this time about?” Jeonghan pondered, opening his chocolate milk carton to take a sip.

“Oh, just making plans for Jihoon’s birthday.” Wonwoo responded as he took a bite into his sandwich.

Jeonghan grinned, “Oh, we could go bowling! Or maybe see a movie!”

“I heard there’s this really good sci-fi movie coming out on the weekend of your birthday, Ji!” Wonwoo exclaimed as he swallowed his food.

Jihoon groaned, “Come on, guys…”

“Or we could stay home if you want. Movie in the cellar, maybe sneak in a few drinks…” Jeonghan said with a sly look plastered on his face. He then let out a soft giggle.

Wonwoo tittered, “Like you drink.”

“I remember somebody saying, and I quote: There’s a first time for everything.” Jeonghan responded with a smirk.

“Listen, guys.” Jihoon interrupted his friends’ discussion. The two looked at Jihoon, “Thanks, but I just don’t feel like celebrating my birthday, okay?” Jihoon admitted, setting down his fork and resting his arms on the table.

Jihoon didn’t enjoy celebrating his birthday, especially since his older brother Dongha was gone. Long story short, Dongha had abruptly left Jihoon and his parents around Jihoon’s birthday four years ago. Jihoon’s mother would constantly remind him that Dongha was studying all the way in Seattle, but there was no way he would be so easily convinced. Dongha’s absence hurt even more when Jihoon’s parents got their divorce, and Jihoon felt more alone than ever. All Jihoon wanted to know was the truth about his old brother’s disappearance, and why he hadn’t come back. He knew he would never get an answer to that.

“It’s been four years, Ji. One small party won’t hurt.” Wonwoo complained, then letting out a dry laugh.

Jihoon scoffed, “And what about it?” Jihoon snapped, sitting up straightly as he glared at Wonwoo.

“Ji.” Jeonghan noticed the look in Jihoon’s eyes. He knew how sensitive this topic was to his friend, but he didn’t think he would still snap at someone for it. Sure, Jihoon has had a few breakdowns here and there, but they were years ago. What has made him extra defensive this time around?

“Do you know what it’s like to wake up and see that the person you cared about the most just disappear without leaving a note or trace of where they went?” Jihoon argued, his whole body facing Wonwoo who had a worried look on his face. “I’ve been waiting for him to come back, you know. No calls. No texts. Not even one of those old-fashioned letters! I even sat by the door just to see if he would come in!”

“Jihoon, listen-” Wonwoo spoke in a cautious tone.

“You can go shove your birthday-fucking-cake up your-“

“Jihoon!” Jeonghan shouted with his eyes shut, shaking Jihoon out of his endless rant whilst grabbing everyone in the cafeteria’s attention.

Jihoon snapped out of it and returned to the real world. He looked over at Jeonghan and back at Wonwoo. Their faces were drenched with concern and smothered with pity. Jihoon’s eyes then roamed around the cafeteria and found even more worried eyes staring at him, as well as a few snickers that were heard from afar. Jihoon lost himself again, and this time he lost it in front of the entire school. He was embarrassed, but most of all, he was upset with himself for not being able to control his emotions. Jihoon stood up from his seat, his head hung low, “I’m sorry…” Jihoon mumbled. He quickly took off, making his way through the maze of tables and out of the cafeteria.

“Jihoon, wait!” Jeonghan turned around and called out for his friend in hopes he’d return. He didn’t.

The cafeteria resumed to their usual chatter and eating, all except for Wonwoo and Jeonghan. The two sat at the incomplete table and stared at Jihoon’s unfinished meal. “Jeonghan…” Wonwoo whispered. “You know I didn’t mean to…” Wonwoo’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes were filling themselves with tears. Although some may say Wonwoo appeared to be intimidating, deep down he had a soft heart, especially when it came to his friends.

Jeonghan nodded, “I know you didn’t.” He responded. “But you should go talk to him… And see if he’s okay, wherever he is.” Jeonghan recommended, glancing up at Wonwoo.

Wonwoo sighed loudly, getting up from his seat. He gathered his belongings, took one last look to his friend who gave him a reassuring smile, and headed out of the cafeteria in search for Jihoon.

Wonwoo checked his watch, realizing he had only ten minutes left to find Jihoon before the bell rang. He began his search looking through the hallways, he peaked in every classroom through its window, went out to the courtyard, and then into the obvious hiding spot; the bathroom. Unfortunately, Wonwoo had no luck with finding his friend. He walked out of the bathroom, defeated that he wouldn’t have a chance to make up with Jihoon for his mistake before class started. Wonwoo leaned against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest. That was when an idea had suddenly popped up in his head.

Wonwoo barged into the restroom once more. This time, he pushed open each stall, one by one. All of them opened with ease, except for the very last one. Wonwoo placed his ear against the stall’s door, wondering if Jihoon was in there. “Ji?” Wonwoo spoke.

There was no response. Wonwoo took a step back and leaned against the bathroom wall. “I know you’re in there…” Wonwoo sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean for it to sound like if it didn’t matter…”

The sound of something being unlocked was heard. Wonwoo glanced towards the stall that was once locked start to open. Out came his friend Jihoon, his eyes were swollen and red, and his cheeks coated with tear stains. “What?” Jihoon muttered.

Wonwoo sighed, “Listen, I’m sorry, okay? I just wanted to have a little fun, you know. Not every day you turn fifteen.”

Jihoon frowned, “If I told you guys that I don’t want to have a party, you should’ve just left it at that.” He hissed. “And if this is what you call an apology, let me tell you, it’s a pretty _shitty_ one.” Jihoon paced around the bathroom, wiping his tear stained cheeks and rubbing his eyes. “Can you just leave me alone? Please?” Jihoon demanded.

Wonwoo moaned, “Jihoon… Don’t be like this. I only wanted us to have a good-“

“Leave me alone!” Jihoon screamed, eyes locked on Wonwoo with his fists clenched. As Jihoon released all the fury he had built up inside, the doors to each stall slammed shut. The sudden bang they created startled both Jihoon and Wonwoo.

The two of them stood there in silence, four pairs of eyes glued onto the bathroom stalls. It was till Wonwoo took the initiative and began to step towards the stalls, “How the-“

The bell’s unexpected blare cut off Wonwoo before he could finish his sentence. Jihoon took the opportunity to be ‘saved by the bell’ and zoomed out of the restroom before Wonwoo could protest. Wonwoo was about to stop Jihoon from fleeing, but he chose to let his friend go. _‘I’ll get you later…’_ He thought.

Before Wonwoo headed to class, he stopped for a moment and observed the stalls once more. He went towards one of them, feeling his legs trembling with every step he took. Wonwoo reached out his shaky hand and pushed open the door to the stall. Wonwoo was prepared for whatever he was about to encounter as the squeaky door swayed opened. However, there wasn’t anything in the stall except for the grimy toilet.

Wonwoo pushed to open the rest of the remaining stalls to only be given nothing but dust. There was nothing nor nobody in those stalls during the time he and Jihoon were in there. Wonwoo stepped back and observed all the now wide-open stalls and tried to piece together how did they close automatically. _‘Could’ve been the wind?’_ Wonwoo thought. He glanced up at the windows in the bathroom, but they were all shut tight. _‘How did this even happen…’_ Before Wonwoo could fry his brain more than it already was, he decided to drop the situation and go to his class.

 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 

 

The final bell of the day rang, and all the students charged out of the classrooms and out the building. Jeonghan went over to his locker to gather a few books he needed for homework. Jihoon and Wonwoo stood next to him as he packed up his backpack. “So, my dad has his sister coming over, and he wants us to go out tonight. Which means I probably won’t be online to chat later.” Wonwoo advised, adjusting his backpack over his shoulder.

Jeonghan and Jihoon nodded, “Alright, but if I get a D on this homework assignment, it’s on you.” Jihoon warned, a light chortle following up. Wonwoo had noticed Jihoon was back to his usual self. It was as if everything that happened earlier in the bathroom had faded into oblivion. Except, Wonwoo couldn’t let those events slip through the cracks just yet.

Wonwoo scoffed, “That’s on _you_ for not paying attention, idiot.” Wonwoo laughed, and so did Jeonghan.

Jihoon rolled his eyes, “Just get here early tomorrow so I can copy your shit, Jeon.” Jihoon ordered, pointing his finger at Wonwoo. “Well, I am out. I’ll see you two losers later.” Jihoon said before he marched on out of the school building.

Jeonghan finally got all his stuff packed and closed his locker, “Hey, so did you talk to Ji?” Jeonghan pondered, walking with Wonwoo to the exit.

Wonwoo’s head popped up, “O-Oh, yeah! We did talk…” Wonwoo stammered. “Told him I was sorry and yeah. Back to normal!” Wonwoo awkwardly chuckled. Wonwoo was on the fence whether he should tell Jeonghan about the whole situation between him and Jihoon or to just drop it and never speak of it again. He was afraid that, if he were to tell Jeonghan, he wouldn’t believe him. Worst case scenario was that Jeonghan would end up laughing at Wonwoo’s buffoonery.

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow, “And that’s it?” Jeonghan questioned. Wonwoo didn’t respond and Jeonghan couldn’t help but notice his friend looked quite uneasy. “Are you okay?”

Wonwoo shook his head, “No! No, no. I mean, yes. I’m fine. And yes, that’s all that happened… I’m just a bit nervous, you know. Aunt’s here, and I have to make a good impression…” Wonwoo responded, obviously lying but he hoped his friend didn’t catch his white lie.

“Jeon, seriously. Are you okay?” Jeonghan asked. “You’re acting kind of strange…” Jeonghan wasn’t one hundred percent on board with what Wonwoo had told him. He knew there was something Wonwoo wasn’t telling him, and he wanted to find out what was making him act this way.

Wonwoo shook his head again, biting down on his tongue. Jeonghan let out a sigh and shrugged it off. Although he wanted to know what was happening with his friend, he didn’t want to push it any further. The two stayed in complete silence as they walked out of the building. Making their way down the stairs, Jeonghan examined the streets in hopes to see if his mother was parked somewhere, but she hadn’t arrived yet. Wonwoo did the same and luckily for him, his father was parked just right at the curb.

Jeonghan followed Wonwoo’s gaze and spotted Wonwoo’s father’s car, waving at Wonwoo’s father who waved back momentarily. He then proceeded to do the usual fist bump to his friend, but he was left hanging as Wonwoo didn’t respond. Jeonghan glanced up at his friend, his fist still facing Wonwoo waiting for him to return the gesture. He sighed, “Jeon, what’s up?”

“Is Jihoon okay?” Wonwoo blurted out, his tone full of worry.

Jeonghan was taken aback at Wonwoo’s random question. He lowered his fist, “What do you mean?” Jeonghan pondered. “I mean, yeah. He’s fine and all-“

“Like, have you ever seen him do anything… Weird?” Wonwoo wondered, almost whispered. He looked back and forth at his father and then back at Jeonghan. Wonwoo didn’t want to keep his father waiting, but he needed answers from Jeonghan as he spent the most time with Jihoon.

Jeonghan shook his head as he raised one eyebrow, “I mean, he did eat a whole jar of peanut butter by scooping it out with his drumstick one time, but that was it.” Jeonghan replied, letting out an airy chuckle. “But what are you talking about?”

Wonwoo gulped and came closer to Jeonghan, almost at his ear, “Something happened when I found him.” Wonwoo admitted, almost spoken in a whisper. Jeonghan was getting a little worried by the way Wonwoo spoke, yet he was intrigued to know what had caused him to be so flustered. Jeonghan listened in, “I found him in the bathroom, in one of those stalls. When he came out, we talked normally, you know...”

Wonwoo paused for a moment, recollecting his thoughts of what had happened at that time, but Jeonghan was becoming impatient. He wanted to know what the dilemma was already, “Get to the point, Jeon…” Jeonghan impatiently said.

As Wonwoo was opening his mouth to proceed with his storytelling, the blast of a car horn from nearby was heard all throughout the school grounds. The two were alarmed by the sound and rotated their heads in the direction the noise came from. It was Wonwoo’s father, and he was beginning to roll down the car’s window.

“Jeon! Hurry up! We’ve got things to do!” Wonwoo’s father yelled at his son.

Wonwoo looked back at Jeonghan, “I’ll promise to tell you everything later…” He reassured, giving Jeonghan a half smile before he ran over to his father’s car. Wonwoo hopped into the passenger’s seat and watched Jeonghan from a distance while he waved goodbye.

Jeonghan waved back at his friend as he drove off. Jeonghan decided to look for himself a place to sit momentarily while he waited for his mother to arrive. As he was seated, Jeonghan recalled the look plastered on Wonwoo’s face. It was as if he saw a monster. Jeonghan wondered why Wonwoo looked so frightened when he tried to explain about his talk with Jihoon. What did Jihoon do to him in the bathroom, and how come they acted so unbothered after classes were over? Jeonghan sighed in frustration, because he knew that he won’t be getting answers till tomorrow because of Wonwoo’s evening out.

Jeonghan opted to drop the brain racking dilemma. He pulled out his phone to play his usual games to kill time. Jeonghan popped in his earphones and submerged himself into his games. Since Jeonghan was too busy fighting off robots and zombies from left to right, he didn’t notice nor felt when somebody took a seat next to him. It was until the person tapped on Jeonghan’s shoulder that he realized he wasn’t alone anymore.

Jeonghan shut off his phone and pulled out his earphones, “Oh, hey!” Jeonghan exclaimed, sliding his phone into his pocket. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Hey!” Joshua greeted with a smile. Jeonghan’s eyes lead him to Joshua’s hands, as he had an item in his grasp; another one of his books. Joshua noticed Jeonghan was starring and giggled, “ _Sense and Sensibility._ Another one of _Jane Austen's_ finest works.” Joshua waved his book at Jeonghan.

Jeonghan nodded, “Don’t really read that much, to be honest. But I bet it’s a good read.” Jeonghan admitted.

“Well,” Joshua handed over his book to Jeonghan. “Why don’t you start your reading journey from here?”

Joshua gestured for Jeonghan to take the book, and so he did. Jeonghan examined the book, flipping it to see both the front and back covers. “You’re really going to give me your book? Just like that?” He pondered, observing the cover of the book. Joshua nodded. “So, is this going to be like, librarian style?” Jeonghan joked, “When’s my last day to return it?”

Joshua laughed, “No, no! You can keep it.” He smiled. “I’ve already read it like, a billion times.” Joshua exaggerated.

Jeonghan let out a chuckle, “Must be good for someone to read it a million-“

“Billion.” Joshua corrected Jeonghan.

“A billion times.” Jeonghan said, both him and Joshua couldn’t stop grinning. After the laughter had faded, Jeonghan slid the book into his backpack.

“So,” Joshua spoke again. Jeonghan turned his head at Joshua, “How are you?” Joshua said in a mildly concerning tone.

The straightforward question baffled yet pleased Jeonghan. On one hand, it was nice to hear somebody ask how one was doing, but it also felt rather odd, especially in the way it was asked. For such a simple inquiry, it sure did take Jeonghan a moment to respond. “Um, I’m fine, I guess. How about yo-“

“Like, are you okay?” Joshua cut Jeonghan off. “Completely normal?” Joshua added.

Jeonghan grew somewhat skeptical by the way Joshua was behaving, “Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Jeonghan pondered, breathing a bitter laugh.

Joshua shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. You looked kind of off today…” He murmured.

“Oh, so you were spying on me?” Jeonghan teased. He watched as Joshua’s face grew red, and all the concern he had for Jeonghan faded away.

A light crimson tinted Joshua’s cheeks, “Wait, no! That’s not what I meant!” Joshua protested. Jeonghan laughed at his reaction. “I-I was just worried, you know…” Joshua confessed, turning his head to face another direction while crossing his arms.

“I’m only joking. But thank you for asking...” Jeonghan reassured, nodding his head. “No one’s really asked that before. I mean, other than my friends and my mom, of course... So really, thank you.”

Joshua turned his head around slightly, his gaze completely locked straight down at the ground except for few glimpses connecting with Jeonghan’s eyes. Joshua gave him a half smile in which Jeonghan returned. Silence soon engulfed the two boys and Joshua returned to focus on what was in front of him; people walking by, automobiles zooming down the streets, and vehicles stopping to pick up students waiting at the curb. But Jeonghan couldn’t pry his eyes off of Joshua.

He noticed his cheeks were a tad rosy and not as a strong velvet as they once were. Jeonghan gazed upon Joshua’s nose and how smooth his bridge appeared, from the top to the tip that was rounder, almost like a button. He examined the piercings that covered his left ear; a cross helix piercing along with a simple diamond earring on his lobe. Jeonghan loved the look of piercings and how they had the power to detect people’s personality.

He could sense Joshua being a rather simple guy; someone that would spice things up every now and then but would still play by the rules and keep themselves grounded at the end of the day. Jeonghan’s mind began to fill itself with scenarios of Joshua being the type of person he thought about, and it intrigued him. Jeonghan was already imagining all the wild adventures Joshua must have been on throughout his life, but perhaps none of them were true. He had barely scratched the surface on what and who Joshua really was, except for him knowing he was a bookworm and had a cute nose. He was fascinated by the boy since the first day they met. If he wanted to get to know him better and further verify his hypothesis of him being an adventurous lad, then he must look past the surface and dig deeper.

“Hey,” Joshua spoke, shaking Jeonghan out of his thoughts. Joshua turned his head and whole body completely to face Jeonghan, “Let’s go do something.”

Jeonghan - who was hadn’t yet turned to look at Joshua who was speaking - immediately rotated his head at the sound of his offer, “Go?” He questioned. “Like, go… Go?” Jeonghan bopped his head to the side, gesturing what Joshua intended to say.

“Yeah! Unless you want to stay and wait for you mom or whatever, then that’s fine.” Joshua sprung up from the bench and onto his feet, adjusting his backpack and pulling up his pants that had sagged a bit.

Jeonghan stood up from the bench as well, “Depends on what this _something_ is.” Jeonghan lightly chuckled, digging his hands into his pockets.

“Well, there’s this record store in town-“

“Vinyls, Books, and Coffee…” Jeonghan cut Joshua off, mouth agape but then curved slowly into a smile.

Joshua nodded, “That’s the one!” He pointed his finger at Jeonghan. “I went in there the other day for a quick second, but it smelled so good.”

“That’s Eunwoo’s coffee to you. She makes the best cappuccinos.” Jeonghan responded.

Joshua raised his eyebrows, “Oh! So, you know the owner?” He giggled. “Maybe we’ll get a discount then!”

“Owner _-ish_. She dated a friend of mine a while back. She’s really nice, though.” Jeonghan grinned.

Joshua nodded, “Well, since you like music and I like books, I thought it’d be a good spot for us to hang out, you know.” Jeonghan felt his heart thump a beat faster. It was as if Joshua had read his mind. Although Jeonghan was disappointed in himself for not being the one to take the leap forward first, he was glad that Joshua did. He even thought about Jeonghan’s love for music and Jeonghan was content by his attention to detail. “Jeonghan!”

“Yeah?” Jeonghan’s head was somewhere else, maybe creating another one of his scenarios with Joshua in his head.

“Are you coming?” Joshua asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jeonghan nodded rapidly as a toothy grin grew across his lips. Joshua laughed at Jeonghan’s behavior and then gestured with his head for Jeonghan to follow along. Jeonghan quickly caught up with Joshua and mimicked his walking speed. The two of them walked down the streets in silence, only the chilly breeze that blew through the trees and ear were audible. Jeonghan felt the typical butterflies in his stomach, either because he was doing something that wasn’t on his usual day-to-day schedule or because of Joshua. Perhaps it was both, or maybe it was one. Exhilaration coursed through his veins and it was a feeling Jeonghan loved. If anyone or anything could make him feel that way, then whatever it was, it was a keeper.

It didn’t take the two long before they reached town. As they walked in further, the noise around them grew from just the sound of nature to car motors cranking up, people chatting with one another or on their cellphones, and music being played somewhere near to attract customers. Everywhere else except for town center was peaceful. Jeonghan enjoyed it, nonetheless. Jeonghan wished he lived closer to town since most of his favorite shops like _Pizza Palooza_ and _Music Hut_ were there, as well as _Valavans Central Park_ , where he liked sitting in the gazebo that stood right by the lake. He hadn’t been there for a while now, because throughout the summer, he had been with Jihoon at his place the majority of the time, and Jihoon wasn’t the outdoor loving type of guy.

“Jeonghan…” Jeonghan yanked his eyes from the gazebo he was staring at and turned to face Joshua whom was talking. “It’s this way!” Joshua pointed his finger in the direction where they had to go.

Jeonghan nodded and followed him behind. The sidewalks were packed, so the two had to shimmy there way through the crowd - trying not to bump into anyone to avoid any confrontations - to make it to their destination. They let out a sigh in relief when they finally got to the door of the shop. Joshua opened the door and gestured for Jeonghan to enter, but before he entered, he stopped in front of Joshua.

“I-uh-don’t think you’ve ever told me your name…” Jeonghan said, even though he already knew it, but Joshua had never revealed it to him yet.

Joshua breathed a soft chuckled, a half smile tickling at the corner of his lips, “Joshua.”

“Well, thank you for opening the door for me, Joshua.” Jeonghan grinned.

“It was a pleasure, Jeonghan.”

 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 

 

Walking home wasn’t part of Jihoon’s plan. However, when he got a text message from his mother that she wasn’t going to be able to pick her son up, he had no choice but use his legs for what they were made for and walk back home. While Jihoon made his way to his place, he began to wonder if his mother had to work overtime again. That was the only reason she would let her son know that she wouldn’t be there for him. _‘At least I have the house to myself for a few hours…’_ Jihoon thought.

Jihoon pulled out his phone and began to text Jeonghan about him and his empty house. He pressed send when he reached the front door of his house. Jihoon’s shoes came flying off and his backpack was thrown onto the couch seconds after entering. Whenever he got the house to himself, he enjoyed messing around, playing music as loud as possible, and hoping onto his video game console for a virtual soccer match. Jihoon was hungry though, so before he did anything else, it was best for him to prepare himself a snack. A few buttons came undone on Jihoon’s shirt as he traveled towards the kitchen, getting in a comfier state.

Turning around the corner with making a sandwich in mind, Jihoon stopped in his tracks and covered his mouth with his hand as he encountered a figure sitting at the breakfast nook, startling him during mid unbuttoning. The person had his back facing Jihoon, so they did not notice when he entered. His hands were shaking as he frantically tried to button back up his shirt. He wasn’t going to encounter a mystery person with his chest out in the open. Jihoon’s breaths were shaky; he could feel the sweat forming on his face and back. Who was this person and how did they get in? Jihoon took several steps forward, little by little. It didn’t cross Jihoon’s mind that perhaps it was best to run or call the police because the intruder could potentially be an axe murderer when he was already right behind the figure. Something in the back of his mind told him that this person presented no threat to him, and though it was a gut feeling and Jihoon could probably be considered dead meat, he didn’t budge from his spot.

Jihoon reached out his trembling hand slowly and gently placed it on the shoulder of the person. This made the mystery figure jump from Jihoon’s touch. Jihoon retreated to his initial spot, watching the person get up from the breakfast nook. His breathing was hard, knees wobbling from fear of the unknown, but then, it all clicked.

“Jihoon…”

Jihoon looked at him, scanning him from the tip of his head with his tousled hair down to his dirty sneakers. The dread he felt a moment ago was washed away with only one look into his eyes. Euphoria, despair, rage, and dubiety all clumped up together within Jihoon; everything was a disaster. He didn’t think it was possible a single person could make him feel so many things all at once. Jihoon couldn’t handle the overwhelming amount of emotions any longer. It was then he noticed his eyes were filling up like a bathtub with hot liquid that made his vision distorted. They were tears. Jihoon lowered his head, hiding his weaker self as he blinked a few times, letting the droplets escape and race down his cheeks to his chin and then hanging on for their dear lives before they crashed onto the kitchen floor.

“Get out.” Jihoon spoke through tears, his voice cracking at the end.

The person shook his head rapidly furrowing their eyebrows, “Jihoon, you have to listen to me… Please!”

“I said go!” Jihoon shouted, popping his head back up and looking straight into his eyes.

They clutched onto Jihoon’s shoulders, sending more tears down Jihoon’s face because of his touch, “Ji… I’m so sorry.”

Without hesitating, Jihoon pushed on his chest, releasing himself from his grasp. “Leave!” He yelled while pointing back at the door. Immediately after he spoke, the front door flung open, accompanied with a loud bang a second later that filled the air when it hit the wall.

Jihoon gasped from the sound. He placed his hand over his heart which was currently beating faster than usual. He looked behind him and noticed the door swaying on its hinges; back and forth. Jihoon steadily inched his way to the front of the house, wondering what caused the door to be sent flying like that. Worst case scenario was that someone was trying to break into his home and that maybe he should consider locking his door more often. Jihoon scanned the living room, dining room, and up and down the stairs, but there were no signs of anyone actually being in there.

He took another glance at the door, still swaying around. Jihoon’s mind pulled out the cassette tape, rewound it, and replayed the events of what had happened earlier in the afternoon. He could feel every surface on his body erupt with chills and goosebumps. The similarities were uncanny, but he was not sure if anything that was happening was because of him, or something else.

Jihoon felt a warm hand graze on his shoulder. He looked over slightly through his peripheral vision, but then looked back forward. His touch, however, felt calming and inviting. Jihoon missed the feeling, and he took a moment to absorb the sensation before anything was said and done.

“Jihoon…” The grasp on his shoulder tighten a bit, and Jihoon could feel the hand trying to turn him around. Jihoon followed along and turned, his gaze glued to the floor when his body was facing his. Another hand grabbed Jihoon’s shoulder tightly. Jihoon didn’t want to look up. He didn’t want the memories to flood back in and feel everything he did just a minute ago, because he knew he would break down right at the spot. But, he had to.

Jihoon gradually lifted his head, his eyes slowly making their way up to his face, reconnecting with his eyes. He felt the pain, the joy, the misery, and the anger run through his veins. But, most importantly, he felt all the love he had for him return with images of old memories passing through his head.

“Dongha…” Jihoon whispered as tears continued to stream down his face.

Dongha smiled, his hands on Jihoon’s shoulders were now on the sides of his brother’s face, “I’m going to help you…”

Jihoon crashed into Dongha’s chest and pulled him into the tightest hug. The scent of Dongha’s cologne invaded his nose; the exact cologne he had been using ever since his mother gave it to him on his sixteenth birthday. Jihoon couldn’t help but smile, especially because he remembered that. A lot more memories passed through his mind with just a whiff of him, and even more while clinging onto him. After four years, Jihoon finally got his brother back. Jihoon wasn’t going to let him leave easily this time. Not now, not ever.

“I missed you so much…” Jihoon whispered against Dongha’s chest. The two of them remained in their exact position for a while; arms wrapped around one another feeling the warmth of their much-needed embrace that was four years overdue.

And Jihoon was happy once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> henlo i am not dead !! school has been out for a while now and i'm just here enjoying my break and i have now finished editing this chapter !! so i hope you enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think !! got lots of stuff to show y'all soon ;)
> 
> xo


	4. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people! I know that I have been absent for quite some time. But have no fear, I will be continuing this story! Just not on this platform or with Seventeen being the characters of it. I love how this story is developing and I do not want to let go of it. So I will be taking this story onto a different site aka Wattpad because AO3 is usually for fandom stories (but if you know other places where I can publish online stories please help me out). I'm gonna create original characters for this story with original backstories and all that jazz! I hope you can understand and will support me with this decision. And if you have been reading this story and enjoy the plot, I will be adding more chapters soon! Thank you so much, and I hope you will continue following this story :)

My wattpad user is: artsyviibes

 

See you there :)


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